Lucky Pehr | Page 6

church tower, come into a forest of snow, throw snowballs, skate, bump my head on the ice, lose my senses--then I wake up and find that it is summer! Have I been lying here under the snow six months? No, it doesn't seem likely. [Looks at himself in the brook.] I'm as red as a rose. [Bends over water.] But what do I see down in the deep--A blue sky, green trees, white water-lilies, and right in their midst--a girl!--just like the one the youth had his arm around in the Christmas-home: flowing hair, a mouth like a song, eyes like the dove's!--Ah! she nods to me--I'm coming, I'm coming! [About to plunge into the brook, when Lisa gives a cry. He turns.] There she is! A moment ago she was down here.
LISA. So it seems, but do not always believe your eyes.
PEHR. A strange world, this! But let me see if it is the same girl? [Stares at her.] Yes, it is she. [Starts to run toward her, then catches sight of ring.] What! my ring? You robbed me while I lay senseless! Oh, do not believe your eyes, you said. No! for now I have my first lesson--I wanted to embrace an angel, and I find a thief.
LISA. Do not always believe your eyes, Pehr; investigate before you judge.
PEHR. You are right. I shall do so. Girl, who are you? What is your name?
LISA. Lisa is my name, but who I am you must not know until the time is fulfilled. I came here and found you senseless--on the ice I found your ring, the powers of which I did not know.
PEHR. You have saved me from certain death in the snow. Forgive me! Lisa, you shall go with me on my journey, and you shall see a jolly life.
LISA. You are traveling, you say--What is the object of your journey?
PEHR. I seek--like all the rest--happiness.
LISA. You seek happiness! That is a fleeting thing.
PEHR. Ah, say not so! I can have all that I wish for. Have we not been given the most delightful summer in the middle of winter? See how gloriously the sun shines up in the pines! You must know that all this is new to me. Oh, look! [Picks up a few spruce-cones.] What are these?
LISA. The fruit of the trees.
PEHR. Then it is good to eat.
LISA. No; but children play with it.
PEHR. Play--that I have never done! Shall we play, Lisa?
LISA. Yes--but what? Shall we play a game of tag?
PEHR. How does it go?
LISA. Watch me! [She runs behind a tree and throws cones at Pehr.] Now catch me!
PEHR. [Running after her.] But that's not so easily done! [Steps on a cone and hurts his foot.] The damned spruce apples!
LISA. Mustn't curse the fruit of the trees!
PEHR. One can do without such fruit! I prefer the kind I saw on a Christmas-tree. If this spruce could bear such fruit, then-- [Instantly spruce bears oranges.] Look, look! Let us taste. [They pick fruit and eat.]
LISA. Well, what think you?
PEHR. Oh! it's rather good--but not quite what I had fancied.
LISA. So it is always--all through life.
PEHR. My dear girl, how wise you are! Lisa, may I put my arm around your waist? [A bird in the tree begins to sing softly.]
LISA. Yes; but what for?
PEHR. May I kiss you also?
LISA. Yes--there's no harm in that, surely. [Bird sings louder.]
PEHR. I'm so warm after the play, Lisa! Shall we bathe in the brook?
LISA. [Covers her eyes with her hands.] Bathe!
PEHR. [Throws off coat.] Yes!
LISA. [Hides behind a tree.] No, no, no! [Bird sings.]
PEHR. Who is that screech-owl up in the tree?
LISA. It is a bird that sings.
PEHR. What does he sing about?
LISA. Hush! I understand bird language; that my godmother taught me.
PEHR. It will be fun hearing about it! [Bird sings.]
LISA. "Not so, not so!" he said just then. [Bird sings again.] Pehr, do you know what he said then?
PEHR. No.
LISA. "Live guiltless! Mine eye seeth thee."
PEHR. Guiltless--what is that?
LISA. I don't know--but dress yourself!
PEHR. It's only nonsense; there's no one here to see us. [Cuckoo calls.] Cuckoo! Cuckoo!
PEHR. What is that rogue calling?
LISA. [Imitates cuckoo.] Cuckoo, cuckoo!
PEHR. What a lot of tiresome formalities there has got to be!
LISA. Can you not enjoy the great, innocent pleasures of Nature?
PEHR. Yes, for a little while--What was that? [Tears off vest.]
LISA. An ant.
PEHR. [Beats right and left with his hat.] Only look at all the horrid pests! Ouch! what was it that stung me? A mosquito!
LISA. Everything here in life is incomplete, Pehr. Remember that, and take the bad with the good.
PEHR. Deuce take the bad! I want the good. [Beats at the air.] Now I'm tired of the for est. Surely one cannot play all one's life! I yearn for activity, and want to be among people.